Winter is a packed season full of exciting occasions and opportunities to enjoy time with loved ones. But, to ensure you can make the most of the season, you need to be in the best health possible. As a parent, you know how easily kids pick up bugs when they are in school. Unfortunately, when these illnesses strike, they can seriously disrupt your winter plans and put a stop to the fun celebrations you were hoping to attend.
No parent likes to see their kids feeling ill, and getting sick is not much fun for anyone at home. So, trying to keep your family as healthy as possible is the best way to protect your family this winter and to ensure you get to enjoy the season to the full. Everyone knows a healthy diet and exercise are vital for good health, but you may be wondering else you can do to protect your family? Here are some tips to help protect your family’s health this winter.
Get Plenty of Rest
With many events to attend and people to see, the winter can become a hectic time for families. While it is great to get out and have fun, it is also vital you and the kids fit in plenty of opportunities to rest. Becoming overtired can reduce your immunity, and you may become more susceptible to picking up bugs and getting sick.
Trying to stick with some kind of routine for the kids’ bedtimes is a great idea to help them enjoy the season without getting ill. If you notice the early signs of your kids getting sick, it may be helpful to slow down your plans and give them a chance to feel better rather than carrying on as normal.
Reduce Allergens
Allergies are usually associated with spring and summer when the flowers start to bloom. But did you know seasonal allergies can also strike during fall and winter? Unfortunately, pollen allergies can still be a problem outside of the spring and summer months. Dust, dander, and mold allergies also become an issue when stuck inside so often.
While allergy symptoms are unlikely to be severe, they can feel really uncomfortable. There are many symptoms of winter allergies, and these can include itchy eyes, a scratchy throat, sneezing, and coughing. Congestion is also a symptom of allergies and hearing loss can temporarily occur when your ears feel blocked.
Reducing opportunities for allergens to enter your home is a helpful way to prevent allergies from ruining your winter. Taking off your shoes before you walk around the house will ensure that pollen is not being spread across your floor. It is also helpful to use a vacuum cleaner with a HEPA filter and to vacuum regularly to remove allergen-causing particles.
Photo by Yan Krukov from Pexels
Spend Time Outside
It may be cold outside, but stepping out and getting some fresh air whenever you can is a helpful way to keep your family feeling great this winter. Spending time in the fresh air and natural sunlight is not only great for your physical health but is also beneficial for your wellbeing.
Encouraging the kids to come outside and spend time in the backyard or taking a winter family walk or hike will ensure that both the kids and grown-ups get to spend time outdoors and enjoy the benefits. Stepping outside in the winter has the added bonus of helping to increase your vitamin D intake, so there’s another good reason to get outside.
If your kids are crazy about tech and usually have a phone or tablet glued to their hand, you may be concerned that they plan to hibernate in their bedroom this winter, playing video games throughout the entire season. Spending the day and night in the same four walls is not healthy for people of any age, especially kids, as they are still growing and developing. Getting them outside provides the perfect chance for your kids to step away from their gadgets and enjoy some screen-free time for a couple of hours. And you can always try to combine their love of tech with the outdoors by doing activities like geocashing.
Keep Hygiene Levels High
The topic of hygiene has been high on everyone’s priority list recently, but as time goes on, you may notice that people in the family start to get a little complacent, and their hand-washing is not as thorough as it was previously. Reminding the kids that it is still essential to regularly wash their hands and cover their mouths when coughing or sneezing should help reduce the chances of picking up a bug when they are at school. Hopefully this helps to prevent them from getting sick and passing their germs on to everyone else in the family.
